Teardrops on the Battlefield
by Tisse Gacioppo
Summary: All Clove has ever wanted for the last year was revenge on Cato and now that both herself and Cato are tributes she has her chance. But what will happen when Clove finds herself falling for the one she wants to kill?


**Hey lovelies, obviously this is a story about Clove's version of the Hunger Games, not every single detail will be the same as the original book. Therefore Clove is not going to be some deranged lunatic, she will have feelings but she will still be the ruthless, determined girl we all came to love. **

**Fun fact about Clove: The actress who played her was only 14-15… though in this story she will be 18. Also the word 'clove' means to split something in half with a sharp object like a knife… sort of fits. **

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own the Hunger Games or Clove :( **

Chapter One

The Reaping

_I can still remember my first reaping, it had been a warm sunny day and my dark brown hair was in pigtails, I can remember my mother fussing over my pale pink dress and the fact that the ribbons in my hair had come loose. "Let me tie your ribbons for you Clove, you did a rather messy job." She had said as I stood by the door jumping from one foot to the other with excitement. "I can do it myself." I had told her. My older sister Clara got chosen that year and I cheered along with the rest of the crowd as she went up to the stage. The boy who got picked had looked weak and was a disgrace to our district. "He won't last a day." I had whispered to my brother Caleum as the boy walked up onto the stage._

I remember the day she had come back home from the games, alive and the new champion of our village. Oh how we celebrated. My whole family moved into the house she had won and lived happily, until a year later my mother fell ill. We did everything we could to save her, but it was no use, she died five days before my 13 birthday. Father was distraught when mother died, he spent his days mourning in his room or out at the tavern, now he is known as the town drunk and he is hardly ever home.

"Clove." A voice whispered from somewhere beyond the darkness of my slumber. "Clove Lilia Medusat." The voice brought me slowly out of the darkness and I fought against, wanting to stay in this peaceful state. "Clo-Clo, time to get up." Whoever had the nerve to call me that dreaded nickname was going to pay. I forced my eyes open and wasn't at all surprised to see Caleum leaning over me, his grinning face just inches away from mine.

I splayed my hand over his face in a somewhat lazy manner and shoved it away from me, Caleum took this all in his stride as he stood up from the bed and walked over to my cupboard. "Clara said you had to wear the lacy cream dress, I'm assuming she means this one?" He pulled out one of the only dresses I owned and threw on top of my face.

Not only did my brother have great aim but a huge amount of immaturity as well. "What time is it?" I grumbled to Caleum's back as he rummaged through my shoes. A moment later a high heeled shoe skimmed the top of my nose. "Caleum, what are you doing?!" I asked, rubbing me nose and ducking as another shoe came flying my way.

"You have an hour before the reaping and for some reason Clara has me playing maid." This got me up, I hadn't even realised that today was the reaping. "I get to volunteer this year." I told Caleum happily. My brother sighed wistfully, probably imagining what it would be like to go to the games.

Being one year my senior Caleum couldn't be picked as a tribute anymore, he would have volunteered last year but he had been banned by the mayor. Caleum being the over protective older brother he was, had picked a fight with Cato after Cato had told the authorities about _the incident_. Clove was proud to say that Caleum had messed up Cato's face pretty badly but he had also messed up his chances of being in the Games.

"I'll do you proud brother. Now get out so I can change." I waved my hand towards the door and watched smiling as Caleum walked out of the room; dragging his feet and walking as slowly as he could.

I got dressed and spent a good two minutes admiring the way my gold sequined heel sparkled in the light. My hand flew up to the pendant around my neck as Caleum's head poked around the door, "Ever heard of knocking?" I asked him as I started towards the door. Caleum eyed my pendant warily, "If you insist on wearing that in public you could at least keep it hidden."

I tossed my hair and walked down out the door and down the stairs, knowing he was right but too stubborn to listen.

As I walked down the stairs I could hear Clara and father fighting again. "You are not going to the tavern on the day of the reaping!" Shouted Clara; trying as ever to be the parental figure in this house hold. My father pounded his fist on the table. "Clarissa Rose, you are not in charge here. I can go to the tavern if I wish!"

"But it's Clove's big day, she is eighteen this year, she just graduated from the academy and is more likely to get chosen than ever." Clara argued back, her and I had always been told we got our determination from our mother and our temper from our father. _Great, I'm going to end up like him. _I thought to myself.

"Let him go. I don't want him there to _ruin_ it if I get picked." I said as I walked into the room, using as much venom as I could muster on the word "ruin". Father looked hurt, but what do I care, he has never cared about me. "Clove, don't say that. If Lilia could hear you she'd be…" he started.

"Don't you dare use mother's name against me." I spat before turning around and stalking off.

"You have been a disappointment since the incident last year. You will _never_ be able to win the games." He shouted at my back. I turned around and started towards him, father back away looking worried. I was a meter away from him when Caleum grabbed me from behind and pried a knife -I don't remember grabbing- from my hand.

I stormed out of the house and turned down a random street. In my fit of anger I hadn't been watching where I was going, I looked around me to find myself at the wall dividing district two and three. I wasn't meant to be here, I was going to get in so much trouble. One part of the wall was made of different bricks to the rest, _they must have filled in the hole, _I realised. Of course they had filled in the hole, why wouldn't they? The capital didn't want the two districts interacting I learnt that the hard way.

I ran towards the square, which was relatively hard as I was in heels. After giving a blood sample I went to line up with the rest of the girls my age. "I hear Cato put his name in fifty times this year." Said Wren, suddenly appearing at my side. Wren was the closest thing I had to a friend; she understood me and was very supportive about my hate for Cato.

"Well, let's hope the odds are ever in his favour." I grinned wickedly at her. Wren took her time answering, checking if dark hair was secured in its up do and brushing invisible dirt off her cappuccino coloured skin.

"Apparently he is going to volunteer anyway but he thought it would be much more dramatic if his name was pulled out." Wren had obviously got this information from one of Cato's "friends", using what she called her interrogation techniques but what was really just flirting.

"Oh it will be dramatic alright, when I cut his throat." I whispered dangerously. Wren rolled her eyes and inspected her fingernails, she was pretending like she didn't care about this conversation but I saw her grin mischievously like she always did when she got excited.

"Sweetie, do I have to remind you what happened last time you tried to cut his throat?" Wren raised her eyebrows at me as I remembered.

_It had been right after Cato had told the Peacekeepers about Jai, he had been walking in the meadow near the wall when one of my knives had flown threw the air towards him. It would have been a direct hit to the heart if he hadn't caught it first. He was momentarily distracted by his confusion so I had launched myself at him, knife in hand. I might have killed him if his follower Bear hadn't grabbed me from behind. In my anger I hadn't noticed Cato wasn't alone. _

_Cato hadn't told anyone about my attempt of murder which meant unlike Caleum I had been allowed to volunteer as a tribute. _

"Yes but in the Games he won't have Bear to protect him." I growled. Wren seemed amused by this but said nothing else.

I turned towards the stage as Tansy Starlight the district's escort fresh from the capital with her bright grin, startling aqua hair and bright orange suit stepped onto the stage and began her speech. She told the history of Panem, the country rose up out of the ashes of a place called North America. She listed the disasters and the brutal wars. She said that the result was Panem, a shining Capital ringed by its thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens. Then came the dark days; the uprising of the districts against the capital. Twelve were defeated, one was destroyed.

"And so" she finished, "The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated they gave us… _The Hunger Games_."

Everyone clapped. Tansy held up her hand to silence the crowd.

"The rules are simple, in punishment for the uprising; each of the twelve remaining districts must provide one girl and one boy, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be put into an outdoor arena that could hold anything. Over a period of several weeks the competitors must fight to the death, the last tribute standing wins." With that the crowd roared.

The mayor then stepped up and read out the list of District 2 victors. In the last Seventy-four years our district has had at least forty winners maybe more, the last of which being the boy from two years back.

Clara stepped onto the stage and waved, she and her companion – the last boy tribute to win – sat down in the two remaining chairs, they would be the mentors for whoever was picked as tribute. And then Tansy was back at the microphone, as happy as ever to have our district. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour!" she said before walking over to the big glass ball filled with boys names.

She placed her hand inside and twirled her fingers around, causing suspense. Then she daintily picked out a slip of paper and walked back over to the microphone. Everyone in the crowd held their breath; I could feel the tension in the air. Tansy looked out of the crowd, no doubt loving the reaction she was getting. She slowly opened the envelope and read out the name in a loud, clear voice.

"Erik Brutalas." A buff boy of no more than fourteen strode forward, but everyone in the crowd –including the boy himself- knew that he would not be the tribute; someone (under the name of Cato) would step forward as a volunteer.

No more than a few seconds later Cato pushed his way through the crowd. "I volunteer as tribute!" he shouted confidently. Many girls in the crowd swooned as he walked towards the stage in that annoying arrogant saunter of his.

Tansy Starlight seemed absolutely delighted by Cato's volunteer. "And who might you be?" She asked in a tone of voice that clearly stated that she would love to learn the name of this charming young man. "Cato Hadely."

More girls sighed and Clove just rolled her eyes. Tansy then walked over to the draw out a girl's name, Clove didn't care if her name got called out or not; she would volunteer anyway and besides no one was going to challenge her for the position as tribute, they were all too intimidated by her.

Tansy called out the name but Clove didn't register what is, all she knew was that it wasn't her own. A sixteen year old girl stepped out of the crowd and glanced nervously around her, hoping for a volunteer. _Pathetic. _

"I volunteer as tribute!" Clove called out as she started to walk towards the stage, the girl sighed in relief and hurried back towards her family.

Tansy held out her hand and led me up to the microphone. She looked between me and Clara who was sitting over beside the Mayor, Tansy's head was whipping back and forth making her look very comical. "Well now, it looks as though we have some family resemblance, don't tell me, you're sisters right?" Tansy asked in her whimsical capital accent.

I nodded and she asked me for my name, "Clove Medusat"

Tansy looked at me and then Cato, "Tributes, shake hands."

Cato held out his hand, his eyebrows rose in challenge. He smirked at me because he thought I would refuse to touch him, I shook his hand slowly, deliberately. Then, I looked straight into his eyes and smiled maliciously at him, a gestured that promised revenge.

This was it; my dream come true, my chance to kill Cato.

**So Lovelies what did you think? Please review your thoughts and ideas! 'The Incident' will be explained later, but I will give you some flash backs along the way as hints! Though you guys will probably not like it as much as I do. **

**Oh and I need your help, I am trying a pet name I can call my friends. Cause heaps of people at my school use 'babe' but it doesn't really sound right when I call someone that, any other suggestions? Not sweetie or honey though, that's what my best friend uses. **

**Please review xx and I'm sorry if you all get annoyed by my author's notes, but most of the time they explain things about the story so it might be useful to read them xx**

**Matisse **


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